Senator Sessions Responds To GAO Report

“The GAO’s full report is highly technical and will require a close reading, but my initial observation is that it contains nothing to suggest that the NG/EADS aircraft is not the best airplane for our military. The GAO’s concerns are strictly related to the Air Force’s selection process, not its final judgment. We await the Air Force’s response, which may provide legitimate rationale for the procedural steps it took.

“Our men and women in uniform desperately need these new tankers. In many cases the current aircraft, which average 46 years in age, are older than the pilots flying them. My Senate Armed Services Committee authorized appropriate funding for the tanker program and has not wavered from that authorization during the selection process. At the direction of Congress, the Air Force conducted an extensive competitive bid process, resulting in the selection of the NG/EADS aircraft as the best tanker for our troops.

“The GAO is staffed by respected, independent government auditors, accountants, and lawyers, but they are not pilots, airmen, or engineers. Neither GAO nor Congress is qualified to select which airplanes our pilots fly. Moving forward, I intend to do everything I can to ensure this competition is free of undue political influence. The Air Force will need to address the concerns of the report, but, in the end, it is critical that they be allowed to choose the tanker that best meets their needs and requirements.”